Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Zahir Jaffer's review petition, upholding his death sentence for the 2021 murder of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam in Islamabad. The court said Jaffer had failed to present evidence justifying a review, leaving a presidential pardon as his only remaining legal option.
Why did the Supreme Court reject Zahir Jaffer's review petition?
The Supreme Court said its review powers are extremely limited and cannot function as an appeal against the original verdict. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim's 12-page judgment found Jaffer had produced no evidence to justify reconsidering the sentence, and ruled that the crime's severity did not warrant a reduction.
What did Jaffer argue in his review petition?
Jaffer, a Pakistani-American, had sought to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment. He cited alleged mental illness as grounds for a lighter sentence.
The Supreme Court found he had failed to produce sufficient evidence to justify reconsidering his punishment. The judges ruled that the record established he had committed an extremely serious offense.
What happened to Noor Mukadam?
Noor Mukadam, the daughter of former diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was murdered at Jaffer's Islamabad residence in July 2021. She was 27 years old at the time of her death.
Investigators found that Mukadam had been tortured before being beheaded. The killing drew widespread public attention and became one of Pakistan's most closely watched criminal cases.
What is the case's legal history?
A trial court sentenced Jaffer to death in 2022 for the rape and murder of Mukadam. The Islamabad High Court upheld the verdict in 2023.
The Supreme Court then upheld his death sentence in May last year. Jaffer subsequently filed the review petition that the court dismissed on Thursday.
What did the judgment say about violence against women?
The judgment highlighted the protection and respect accorded to women under Islam. It observed that violence against women and subjecting them to insecurity contradicts both religious principles and the law.
The Supreme Court also referred to United Nations data on the killing of women by intimate partners or family members. The reference underscored the seriousness of violence against women in the ruling.
What options does Jaffer have left?
With the review petition rejected, Jaffer's remaining legal option is to seek a presidential pardon. Article 45 of Pakistan's Constitution allows the president to grant pardons, reprieves and respites.
The rejection closes off Jaffer's avenues for appeal through the court system. His death sentence for Mukadam's murder now stands as the Supreme Court's final judgment on the case.
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